April 2000 Archives

April 30

Pyra's killer app

Pyra's killer app isn't Blogger, says Michael Sippey in the most recent Stating the Obvious. The Pyramaniacs started out to build a robust project-management tool, and got sucked into the swirling vortex that is weblog-world along the way.

"Pyra's killer app isn't Blogger, it's Pyra. Of course, that's mostly semantics, since Blogger's an application built on top of the Pyra framework. Which means that Pyra could not only be your next project management app, but your next content publishing platform as well. An integrated content, template, task, issue, and discussion database? Sounds like a killer app to me. Now they just need to figure out the business model..."

I would have thought the business model was obvious. Isn't it?


posted by bradlands at 11:26 PM PST - 13 comments

meet zlatko trpkovski,

meet zlatko trpkovski, superstar of germany's big brother, coming soon to a TV near you. "Alternately slammed and praised by media commentators here as "the brain," "a trash hero in jogging pants," or "the king of Germany," Trpkovski is suddenly one of the best known people in the country."
posted by palegirl at 11:10 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

The Flat Eric Society

The Flat Eric Society You know that fuzzt orangey-yellow puppet from that Levi's commercial? Apparently he's The Next Big Thing. And there'll be more Flat Eric commercials to come.
posted by honkzilla at 3:13 PM PST - 2 comments

A bizarre side of the Clinton presidency.

A bizarre side of the Clinton presidency.
It seems that during the White House Correspondents dinner the Clinton camp displayed a short comedy movie called 'The Final Days'. I saw a few snippets on Britan's Channel 5 and was SHOCKED. I just didn't belive it... As I watched it I felt like I was watching a skit on Leno. Mind-boggling.
posted by jedrek at 11:14 AM PST - 12 comments

April 29

Whats This? Bill Gates isn't the richest man in the world anymore.

Whats This? Bill Gates isn't the richest man in the world anymore. Poor Bill. First his company might be split, now he's only worth $50.75 billion.
posted by Mark at 9:32 PM PST - 5 comments

Strangers When We Meet

Strangers When We Meet There are no fewer than a dozen bloggeurs in Toronto, and four of us got together f2f on Saturday the 29th, experiencing a climate change from summer to autumn in the space of three hours. Always slightly alien to meet online friends in person, but it worked well. (Subject line is a Smithereens quote for which I can find no online lyrics – good copyright policing, that. "Please don't look my way when you see me on the street. We will still be strangers when we meet." Not anymore, bien entendu.)
posted by joeclark at 6:56 PM PST - 2 comments

"we're just two schmucks who thought something was funny."

"we're just two schmucks who thought something was funny." Yet more elian/true news (like you needed more). The two playboy guys have backed down from the AP bully boys. if you are running a mirror site, send in a link to these guys and they'll link to you. With over 1,000,000 visitors in the past couple of days, it might be worth the e-mail.
Meanwhile Salon also has a run down on the story.
posted by Neale at 6:25 PM PST - 6 comments

Yeah, I think we'd definitely have to say

Yeah, I think we'd definitely have to say that the ad campaign was a success. You'll note that MasterCard hasn't sent a cease and desist...
[ sent to me by a friend ]
posted by baylink at 5:39 PM PST - 3 comments

Another Diablo II beta

Another Diablo II beta sign-up is this monday. This time they will be taking 100,000 users so maybe everyone will have a slightly better chance of getting selected. (I doubt it)
posted by corpse at 7:02 AM PST - 2 comments

April 28

White breasted wood wren sings Beethoven's 5th.

White breasted wood wren sings Beethoven's 5th. Science News ran a fascinating article comparing and contrasting human and animal music. Thanks to www.girlhacker.com for the heads-up.
posted by Lynsey at 10:49 PM PST - 5 comments

It's Penis Day at Wetlog, apparently. [ If you think only adults have penii, you might want to treat some of those links as adult content... ]
posted by baylink at 10:09 PM PST - 13 comments

So Dave has a distributable protest site up for the elian_true animation. What I want to know is, what does this mean: "Wazzup!!! To every tax paying American that felt they should have sent Elian Gonzalez to join his Mother (in the ocean)."
posted by ericost at 8:47 PM PST - 24 comments

COMICON.com Splash is reporting that the DC Comics company has pulped the entire print run of the fifth issue of LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN because it reprinted an actual Victorian-era ad for a douche syringe that included the word 'vaginal'. The maker of the syringe was the MARVEL CO. It's not clear whether DC publisher Paul Levitz destroyed the comic because of the term or the reference to Marvel. Marvel Comics is, of course, DC Comics' main competitor.
posted by bjennings at 5:25 PM PST - 3 comments

I think this deserves the front page: the two Elian_True guys work for Playboy:

http://www.playboy.com/digital/inthenews.html
posted by baylink at 3:56 PM PST - 9 comments

Bad news for the Twins

Bad news for the Twins (I'll post a screenshot later in case they catch it.)
posted by dan_of_brainlog at 2:42 PM PST - 6 comments

my.MP3.com Loses to RIAA

my.MP3.com Loses to RIAA In case you didn't see it on Slashdot and everywhere else.
posted by fil! at 9:19 AM PST - 7 comments

Not only can Kevin Mitnick not touch a computer, cell phone, or the Internet for three years, but a judge is trying to bar him from the lecture circut because he's talking about hacking and technology. I wonder, if they get him to stop talking about technology, are they going to bust him for thinking about it too?
posted by mathowie at 7:05 AM PST - 4 comments

The Image Resource

The Image Resource site at the Art Center College of Design is about a gallery show of net Art (art with a big A), which starts in a couple weeks. It's nice to see pure art for art's sake on the web. I also came across a new art site (that isn't in the gallery show) at Immerse.
posted by mathowie at 6:34 AM PST - 1 comment

Design is Kinky Mugshots

Design is Kinky Mugshots Great idea over there at Design is Kinky. If your a designer or just want to see a whole bunch of them go check it out. Funky shit!
posted by fergus at 3:54 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

i think this lawsuit is for me to poop on. pets.com is suing Robert Smigel, saying that he ripped off their sock puppet as inspiration for Triumph the Insult Comic.
posted by sugarfish at 12:08 AM PST - 7 comments

April 27

Higher beer taxes = lower STD rates?

Higher beer taxes = lower STD rates? Apparently our government thinks so. I thought the first thing they taught you in statistics class was that correlation does not always equal causation. And if cheap beer equals high STD rates, then this college town I'm in must be in big need of antibiotics.
posted by UWliberal at 9:52 PM PST - 2 comments

Did everybody else completely ignore this? Or am I the only one who didn't know that tonight is the 5th Annual Cool Site of the Year ceremony? Why do they even bother anymore?
posted by ratbastard at 7:37 PM PST - 15 comments

Anyone can make money

Anyone can make money off their 15 minutes of fame.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 6:09 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

the webmistress

the webmistress I got a laugh from this one - this totally unknown woman is accusing the great Zeldman of constantly copying off of her (she's kidding).
posted by 33east at 4:10 PM PST - 8 comments

You, too, can be a dot-com entrepreneur.

You, too, can be a dot-com entrepreneur. All it takes is vision and guts -- and supportive parents.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 3:35 PM PST - 5 comments

eGroups yanks calendaring app, eats people's data, doesn't appear to care. This Is Bad.
[ From TBTF via Considered Harmful ]
posted by baylink at 2:32 PM PST - 4 comments

Stenberg v. Carhart

Stenberg v. Carhart Interesting points (no pun intended): "consider a law that violates the principle of separation of church and state by mandating that each public school day begin with a sectarian prayer. The primary purpose of that law would be to advance [a] religion. ...In contrast, consider a law with the proper and constitutional purpose of promoting good citizenship, for example, a law requiring students to recite the pledge of allegiance at the beginning of the public school day. Unlike the school prayer law, this law would not be invalid ... However, it would be unconstitutional ... Forcing those students to recite the pledge would violate their First Amendment rights because the right to speak includes the right not to speak."
posted by greyscale at 2:30 PM PST - 6 comments

You know, we seem to be saying "wow" a *lot*, lately...
posted by baylink at 1:44 PM PST - 5 comments

Maui wowie, dude.
posted by veruca at 11:49 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Found this over at Free Advice in regards to the Elian Gonzalez Spoof Movie:

WHAT IS "FAIR USE" WITH RESPECT TO A COPYRIGHT? Copyrighted work may be used for certain limited purposes by people other than the owner under the doctrine of "fair use." "Fair use" includes reproduction for specific purposes such as:

criticism and comment, including parody
news reporting
teaching
scholarship
research

I beleive that the movie is protected. How else could have the South Park used the photo in last night's episode? I doubt the AP is going to go head to head with Comedy Central over the issue. It is just easy for big companies to threaten the little people and know that they will win. What a shame.
posted by da5id at 11:13 AM PST - 8 comments

Gamers: tired of those doggy framerates? Get the ucfx Woohoo5 34500 AGP graphics card!
[ Courtesy of Hack The Planet. ]
posted by baylink at 11:02 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Well, that didn't take long...

Well, that didn't take long... Associated Press just dropped a "cease and desist" on the Elian-Wassup movie. Damn! The thought police are getting faster and faster these days.
posted by ratbastard at 8:44 AM PST - 36 comments

Cassie and Jason

Cassie and Jason have engaged me better than any soap opera, movie, journal, weblog, anything. Cassie's reports about her husband's near-fatal car accident and his creeping recovery are, well, moving. She writes with clarity and simplicity and selflessness. Her letters make my eyes tear, then I grin and can't hold it back. I flinch, wince, sigh, laugh. The hair on my neck bristles. I want to squeeze that lovely woman and carry that man around like a king.
posted by Mo Nickels at 6:44 AM PST - 3 comments

Wazzzup Video Collection.

Wazzzup Video Collection. Someone asked for this earlier and this site has a pretty comprehensive list so far.
posted by da5id at 6:31 AM PST - 5 comments

Crackpots brought to you by 'balance"

Crackpots brought to you by 'balance" is a piece over at the Boston Globe on the state of the media today. It focuses on the media's handling of the whole Elian G. business, but it also takes a different angle on the more general matter of being journalistically 'fair' . . . which I thought interesting too in the light of growth of online fora and web logs (and perhaps also ask-an-expert sites?) which are coming to be considered as legitimate news resources.
posted by mrpalomar at 4:28 AM PST - 7 comments

Here's an 'update'

Here's an 'update' on the gay highschool football capitan that decided to come out of the closet and was warmly accepted, blah blah blah. I was reading this and I realized that I have absolutely *no* idea how my friends would react if I, or anyone else, 'came out'. Although I knew a few gays while I was growing up in the states, I do not know a single gay person in Poland. It made me think...
posted by jedrek at 2:18 AM PST - 1 comment

April 26

Broadcast "quality" animation in 3 days?

Broadcast "quality" animation in 3 days? Something disturbing about tonite's southpark that just occured to me. it was basically about the ellian controversy, and the raid on easter sunday, they even had janet reno dressed up as the easter bunny for the attack, and they used "the closet photo" to kill kenny. now I know southpark animation isn't that difficult, but that seems awfully fast for them to put together an episode, espeically given that they've been advertising the episode all month...I'll be dreaming of conspiracy theories to explain this one tonite
posted by nomisxid at 11:20 PM PST - 10 comments

Monsanto, the megacorp who brought you terminator seed technology, and who is known for suing farmers who harvest seeds from crops grown from patented Monsanto seeds, has had a busy couple of weeks. On April 4, they merged with pharmaceutical giant Upjohn to form meta-megacorp Pharmacia. That same day, in a spurt of overactivity, they decoded the genetic sequence of rice.

Uh oh.
posted by jbushnell at 7:30 PM PST - 2 comments


Supreme Court Debates Boy Scout Ban on Gay Leaders

Supreme Court Debates Boy Scout Ban on Gay Leaders You have to love the comparison used here...

"Justice Antonin Scalia, the other former Boy Scout on the court, sought to help Davidson, interjecting the group did not ask if leaders were ``ax murderers'' or ``adulterers'' either."

It's always nice to be reminded what a horrible person some people think you are.
posted by bvanveen at 5:43 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Charlie's Angels vs. intellectual property theft?

Charlie's Angels vs. intellectual property theft?
posted by wendell at 5:35 PM PST - 6 comments

speed limit

speed limit -- A bill banning Internet sites which publish or even link to drug-making information looks set to sail through Congress
posted by palegirl at 4:55 PM PST - 3 comments

Last week's story

Last week's story followup about the INS trying deporting Holiday Inn workers who formed a union: Michael Moore is reporting that they get to stay in the country, possibly for good. Michael also mentions his new push to elect a Ficus tree to congress in 2000.
posted by mathowie at 4:15 PM PST - 1 comment

oil.dirt megas

oil.dirt megas take a tour on a virtual carpet with chatters wearing images that represent themselves- surf the same sites- and shop for images together- this is just the beginning. excites virtual places chat community takes a few days to figure out- but its a perfect way to kill a rainy day. go to oil.dirt megas to download images to wear while traveling in virtual places- this is one of the best places to shop for beautiful "megas"
posted by lotus at 2:46 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

This new "FreeNet"

This new "FreeNet" sounds like a perfect utopia, where all information is free like beer, and not just free like speech. Some of the provisions for the network, like not being able to remove a file, remaining anonymous, and not even being able to track down where the files are really coming from make it sound like a anarchist's paradise. I'm wondering though, will it be a place to exchange banned books, or will it be clogged with porn, warez, and mp3s? Will it be populated with idealists against censorship, or AOLers wanting free stuff? Do things always go to the lowest common denominator right away, or does it take time?
posted by mathowie at 2:29 PM PST - 5 comments

Phil Katz RIP

Phil Katz RIP
posted by mike at 1:03 PM PST - 5 comments

So wassup, Elian? Watchin the game, havin a Bud.

So wassup, Elian? Watchin the game, havin a Bud.
You knew it was coming... Here it is. I still think that Reno should have been Dookie.
posted by fooljay at 12:28 PM PST - 5 comments

In the late 90's, Sophonie Telcy's mother illegally entered this country from Haiti, looking for a better life for herself and her daughter; last spring she turned the care of the 6-year-old child over to an old friend, returned to Haiti to see a doctor, and died.

Sophonie's father is unknown. She has no legal standing in the US, no residency papers, no health insurance...and, despite a loving family who is willing to care for her, very little chance to stay here. Congressman Alcee Hastings filed House Resolution 4179, "for the relief of Sophonie Telcy," but the bill will almost certainly fail. (read more about it here.)

The bill has been referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims. I'm not sure what to do here to help, but I have listed all the members of this subcommittee on my website if you'd like to write or call.

Any other ideas?

rcb
posted by rebeccablood at 12:28 PM PST - 2 comments

Courtesy of /usr/bin/girl [love that name...], proof that the apocalypse is nigh.
posted by baylink at 12:06 PM PST - 7 comments

The best marijuana is grown in Canada!? I would have never guessed.
posted by schlyer at 10:52 AM PST - 3 comments

Stuck with Windoze but it drives you up a wall? Maybe 98lite will help...
posted by baylink at 8:39 AM PST - 9 comments

It's like a party in my monitor.

It's like a party in my monitor. I adore TV Party. Tons of old commercials, show snippets, and jingles. But most importantly, Supertrain, the show that seemed bad then and is even worse now! (Yet its theme stuck in my head for days on end....)
posted by hijinx at 8:36 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

New uses for Sex Toys?

New uses for Sex Toys? Or ones we have never considered before? I think the term "Yuck Factor" says it all.
posted by da5id at 7:38 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

One loo or two?

One loo or two? A recipe for disaster or a new camaraderie?
posted by crawdad at 6:35 AM PST - 2 comments

April 25

There's a new version of icq out, although it looks like they're pretty close to their limit on adding buttons to the interface.
posted by mathowie at 7:16 PM PST - 19 comments

We're all doomed.

We're all doomed. All it took was one state, and now they've done it. Maryland, you've let us all down.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 6:15 PM PST - 3 comments

This is unbelievable artwork

This is unbelievable artwork in the form of fisher price little people figures. I love the little Matrix Cypher and both the Chewbacca and the Han in Carbonite. Wacky stuff.
posted by mathowie at 5:26 PM PST - 2 comments

Wired No More

Wired No More The assimilation of Wired.com into the Lycos empire is complete. And www.wirednews.com also goes to the Lycos music front page. How long before it gets shifted to a Tripod member page?
posted by holgate at 4:35 PM PST - 2 comments

Please help me out.

Please help me out. Only a few days left till the 5k has to be finished. I just went through three marathon days in a row getting entries into the database, but it is hard to select ones to send to the judges. Have a look and send your recommendations in (instructions on that page).
posted by sylloge at 4:19 PM PST - 4 comments

Am I nuts or is it possible that Hell.com could become one of the web's most valuable addresses?
posted by wendell at 4:05 PM PST - 3 comments

The bud guys are back

The bud guys are back
posted by starduck at 3:50 PM PST - 4 comments

Pledge to be a part of the 2000 GLBT voter turnout. Straight, gay, bi...all signatures are welcome. Remember that for evil to triumph all that is necessary is for good men to do nothing.

And take to heart the words of Martin Niemoeller: "In Germany they came first for the communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."
posted by veruca at 2:57 PM PST - 9 comments

The same-sex domestic partnerships bill

The same-sex domestic partnerships bill in Vermont has been approved by the state's lawmakers. "The continued denial of these legal protections, benefits and responsibilities to a small but vulnerable class of Vermont's citizens diminishes their humanity, dignity, freedom and independence." It's about damn time, hopefully other states will soon follow suit. Oh, and if you have a problem with this, listen to this and let me know why you continue to have problems with it.
posted by mathowie at 12:50 PM PST - 12 comments

Tired of your Wu-Name or your CYBORG identity?
Buzzy, the evil corporate weblog at Yahoo has a new, non-automated formula for giving yourself a new identity, supposedly lifted from a children's book.
posted by Oprah Chucklebutt
posted by wendell at 10:49 AM PST - 7 comments

I just posted a pretty weak link on unsound and fallacious arguments. Here's a better one. If you participate in debate on the net, you probably ought to read this, so you know *how* they're snowing you.
posted by baylink at 9:26 AM PST - 2 comments

Bill Gates no Longer World's Richest Man.

Bill Gates no Longer World's Richest Man. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Larry Ellison is an idiot.
posted by Succa at 8:37 AM PST - 12 comments

If the Roger Black rant thread has aroused your curiosity, you may want to check out Michael Wolff's profile of Black that ran in New York magazine last fall. It covers the print world more than the web, but it explains the (quite real) Roger Black mystique in greater detal.
posted by werty at 6:38 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

April 24

RedHat Linux security problem uncovered.

RedHat Linux security problem uncovered. Today, apparently it was discovered that if you install the Piranha package with RedHat 6.2 (ostensibly part of the default installation, but there's controversy over this), a default password is installed that would give anyone access to the Piranha configuration package; from there, it is apparently trivial to execute any command on the box that you want.
I find it very interesting that the fact that Microsoft had a "backdoor password" in a DLL made huge news (and it turned out to be patently false), yet this has gotten almost no press. I'd like to think otherwise, but I know it's because people hate Microsoft, and thus are eager to deride it... and yet here's proof that even the mighty Linux is susceptible to the same exact problems.
Next time you reach for the keyboard to cry out "nyah nyah!" at the discovery of some problem with Windows, remember this...
posted by delfuego at 9:38 PM PST - 15 comments

Fat tax?

Fat tax? Any Metafilter readers like to "weigh in" on the proposed fat tax?
posted by Lynsey at 9:37 PM PST - 27 comments

The war continues

The war continues over people against the ever-dreaded video game! It's a long article, but definitely worth a read (later on they talk about people giving noiseblasts to other people just to see them squirm, teehee).
posted by starduck at 6:33 PM PST - 1 comment

Limp Bizkit teams up with Napster

Limp Bizkit teams up with Napster to bring the world, or at least ten select cities, free music. After lawsuits were recently filed against Napster by artists Dr. Dre and Metallica, Napster answers by sponsering a free tour featuring Limp Bizkit and Cypress Hill.
posted by howa2396 at 5:41 PM PST - 1 comment

Roger Black

Roger Black shows just how little he knows about the web. Favorite inflammatory quotes:

"There's hardly any good work on the Internet at all."
"There isn't an Internet community anymore."
"I don't think print and the Web are all that different."
"I think the Internet is not a venue for storytelling."

It's too bad Adobe is giving voice (in web and print) to someone so clueless.
posted by fraying at 2:21 PM PST - 56 comments

We all know by now that I'm a geek. It's refreshing to find that there are more extreme geeks than me. Thanks to the internet for a cheap self-esteem boost!
posted by plinth at 12:49 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

U.S. Likely to Seek Break-Up of Microsoft-Source

U.S. Likely to Seek Break-Up of Microsoft-Source "Under the recommendation, one part would manufacture the Windows operating system, including functions to browse the Internet. The second company would market everything else -- including the Microsoft Office programs -- and would also be allowed to sell Internet software, the source said."
posted by bvanveen at 11:05 AM PST - 17 comments

Separated at birth? Gonzales Stormtrooper and Brian Benson (the Shower Project guy).
posted by plinth at 10:34 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

CD Sales Are Up

CD Sales Are Up The music industry's fears about piracy are being proven ridiculous again and again. Next target: film.
posted by owillis at 9:50 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Alex Comfort "...suffered a series of strokes in recent years."

Alex Comfort "...suffered a series of strokes in recent years." Sorry to hear he died, but couldn't you have chosen better wording?
posted by plinth at 5:49 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Feds seize Cuban Hacker

Feds seize Cuban Hacker in a raid early morning this weekend. 6 year old Elian Gonzalez was arrested for hacking Microsoft. c4str0 oWnz j00 d4d! Check out this hilarious spoof.
posted by da5id at 4:26 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

April 23

Microsoft unsympathetic

Microsoft unsympathetic toward ending serial killings. "Spokane County Sheriff Mark Sterk held an extraordinary public meeting two months ago and asked the public for fresh tips. He even wrote to Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, asking him to donate software to help analyze 10 years of homicide files; according to a sheriff's spokesman, Microsoft said no." => Lack of confidence in their software, or lack of a value system for MS?
posted by greyscale at 9:25 PM PST - 5 comments

I Hate Myself for Blogging You

I Hate Myself for Blogging You -- or, more accurately, I Hate Myself for Blogging Myself. Can invert and non-invert habitués of Metafilter please look at my blog and tell me if my feelings on love at first sight ring true or not? It's because I think they do, but they're so dang radical I need people to genuflect and shout "We're not worthy!" or, conversely, whip out a white glove, slap me across the face, and pour the glove's concrete gravel onto the tarmac. Is what I'm saying.
posted by joeclark at 7:19 PM PST - 9 comments

Those of you who're Slashdot kids have probably already seen this new computer made in Taiwan, but it's so small, it may have been overlooked.
posted by jason at 4:31 PM PST - 3 comments

"Elian and the Stormtrooper":

"Elian and the Stormtrooper": that famous picture which people have wondered about, makes more sense as part of a sequence. The cameraman was just snapping away, and picked the one picture which was most dramatic. When you see it in context, it makes more sense. The agent had just entered the room and didn't know what he'd find (Great Uncle with a shotgun?).

Once he knew he'd found the kid, he clearly points his gun away.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 4:26 PM PST - 10 comments

Now here's a doozy of an ethical dilemma.

Now here's a doozy of an ethical dilemma. Sometimes technology creates ethical problems, or un-solves ones we had previously solved. I'd be interested in how people answer the question posed in the title. Hmm?
posted by Steven Den Beste at 4:11 PM PST - 2 comments

Crazy Guy!

Crazy Guy! Seems the editor of Romanian Playboy didn't realize wife beating just... ain't... funny...
posted by owillis at 12:50 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

GirlHacker stikes again! :-) She linked the website for Mental Engineering, a PBS series devoted to deconstructing advertising. Sounds like a great idea to me...
posted by baylink at 12:30 PM PST - 2 comments

PKRIP.

Phil Katz, creator of PKzip, dead at 37.
posted by baylink at 11:48 AM PST - 2 comments

These people didn't like SXSW too much.

These people didn't like SXSW too much. I know a lot of people here went to SXSW this year, and these people treated it like shit. (Sorry, yes I know it's been over a month since SXSW, but that's what happens when I let personal email get backlogged to 148.)
posted by bluechief at 12:27 AM PST - 7 comments

April 22

How about everyone just lighten up, and write a caption for this photo instead of contemplating the implications of a media-saturated society (via silverblog).
posted by endquote at 11:07 PM PST - 3 comments

My opinion

My opinion about the hostage rescue in Miami. (Link to my page; sorry.)
posted by Steven Den Beste at 10:19 PM PST - 7 comments

This is one for discussion. Last week, I read an article debating whether or not photography was a true art form like painting or drawing, or if instead it was merely a reflection of reality and not artistic. With that in mind, when we see photos like this one, this one, and this one, why do we assume that any part of what was captured was the truth? Is the camera an impartial observer, or is the photographer staging these images as a painter would? Do you think a photograph has enough reality to be considered the truth, or is a photograph a miniaturized view of reality, depending on what you point a camera at? I'm curious to hear people's thoughts, as I see groups on every side of the issue spinning these photos to support their cause.
posted by mathowie at 1:10 PM PST - 26 comments

Happy Easter
posted by baylink at 12:09 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Why they have holidays dedicated to the man.

Why they have holidays dedicated to the man. This isn't going to work everytime, because different ads get served up. But when I first looked at it, the words directly above his head: Mr. Showbiz.
posted by TimTypeZed at 9:19 AM PST - 2 comments

ottawa boy, obsessed with columbine, stabbed several people and slit his own wrists with a steak knife because he longed to be famous. "'We'd be on the phone or walking and he'd say, 'Seven days til Columbine, 11:21, six days til Columbine, 11:21', a witness said"
posted by palegirl at 7:16 AM PST - 5 comments

Wow.

Wow.
posted by bluechief at 4:31 AM PST - 23 comments

April 21

A new child privacy law is in effect

A new child privacy law is in effect , what do you think?
posted by tiaka at 7:04 PM PST - 1 comment

Questions raised about Mediaboy... er mafiaboy.

Questions raised about Mediaboy... er mafiaboy. Is he real?
posted by Dean_Paxton at 4:01 PM PST - 4 comments

Autowraps

Autowraps This company will pay you up to $400/month to wrap your car in advertising. Intriguing, but not exactly aesthetic...
posted by owillis at 3:10 PM PST - 5 comments

Panda Porn:

Panda Porn: ``As part of the pandas' education, we make those which are sexually inept watch videos of other pandas having sex...''
posted by evhead at 2:01 PM PST - 5 comments

A new level

A new level for the next Might & Magic?
posted by crawdad at 11:27 AM PST - 3 comments

Maybe John McCain will get elected president after all, even though he's 'not running anymore'...
posted by baylink at 9:21 AM PST - 5 comments

Canada arrests hacker' father.

Canada arrests hacker' father. Strange, I don't recall anything like this ever happening. Your thoughts?
posted by tiaka at 8:33 AM PST - 7 comments

IU bans Napster again

IU bans Napster again Thursday after Metallica (along with E/M Ventrues and Creeping Death Music) filed a suit against Napster. IU joins Yale (who banned again on April 14) and U. of Southern California...all of whom were mentioned in the suit.
posted by mc_barron at 7:33 AM PST - 6 comments

Your chance to come clean to Metallica

Your chance to come clean to Metallica Here is your chance to pay Metallica back for all the MP3's you downloaded illeagally.
posted by remo at 7:26 AM PST - 8 comments

Privacy? What's that? We all know that most of the new 'free' Internet Access Providers pay the bills by selling ads that you're forced to read, and some of them are selling information about *you* to other people. Well, along comes Predictive Networks, who are going to sell information about your surfing even if you're paying the freight. Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.
[ from Lauren Weinstein's Privacy Digest ]
posted by baylink at 6:59 AM PST - 2 comments

The Full Monty

The Full Monty was broadcast on Fox last night with copious warnings about nudity. When the final scene arrived, they block-blurred the butt cracks, except for the very last still which was on screen for several seconds. Question: why is it OK to show still tushies, but not moving tushies?
posted by plinth at 6:12 AM PST - 14 comments

I'm posting this at 1:11.

I'm posting this at 1:11. Sites like this make the web worth it.
posted by MarkBakalor at 1:11 AM PST - 2 comments

April 20

A day after a MSIE bug, a Netscape bug.

A day after a MSIE bug, a Netscape bug. I figured I had to post this here, since the anti-Microsoft crowd always posts about the MSIE bugs, but seems to stay reeeeeal quiet when a bug is found in their chosen browser. I wish that people would just acknowledge that all software has bugs, and that discovering them is a helpful link in fixing them.
posted by delfuego at 10:23 PM PST - 4 comments

The Truth Is Out about the upcoming X-Files Season (NOT Series) Finale on May 21st.

S
P
O
I
L
E
R

S
P
A
C
E
I always wanted to do that.

The plotline:
Mulder and Scully get their expense accounts audited!!! Gasp!

(Well, at least there's still Iron Chef).
posted by wendell at 4:44 PM PST - 3 comments

The Latest Michael Moore message is about the INS

The Latest Michael Moore message is about the INS trying to deport 8 hotel workers. The workers were arrested in a raid, thanks in part to their employers tipping the INS off, in retaliation for the workers starting a union. Even though they won a court battle over Holiday Inn's unjust labor actions, the INS is still after them. Is this fair?
posted by mathowie at 4:15 PM PST - 8 comments

Mother-stabbers? Father-rapers? Methinks the writer of this piece on the repercussions of trading MP3's is a bit too much of an Arlo Guthrie fan, but the info's interesting. 3 years for *1* copyrighted MP on your hard drive? Is it time for the Second American Revolution yet?

[ From Clickz, via NewsLinx ]
posted by baylink at 10:31 AM PST - 15 comments

Everything old

Everything old is new again. I ranted on this a little in my blog, but here is the crux: why does something that looks like a Commodore 8-bit demo program earn respect as a good web design? The font is even a direct lift of the 64's built-in font. I find it kind of funny that we're trying to duplicate stuff that was done well over a decade ago, but because it's on the web, it's good design.
posted by hijinx at 10:04 AM PST - 15 comments

Microsoft's idea of DNA computing...

Microsoft's idea of DNA computing... AND ...The rest of the world's idea of DNA computing
posted by Dean_Paxton at 8:43 AM PST - 5 comments

Backstreets Back!!

Backstreets Back!! I'm looking through this site and I was shocked, I guess stan lee has a lot of time on his hands. I just can't beleive the descriptions of the "super heros".
For Example :
Howie can project stunning three-dimensional illusions of any item he can think of.

via canadian bomb
posted by r-boogie at 8:18 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Everybody's favorite off-the-wall watches

Everybody's favorite off-the-wall watches are now on the 'net. One very nicely designed site that fully captures the swatch image, although I don't really like the popup navigation bar.
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 8:11 AM PST - 2 comments

Should other states recognize same-sex civil unions licensed in Vermont? Vote and they'll send your vote to state governors, Congress, and the President.
posted by veruca at 7:53 AM PST - 8 comments

blindgift.com

blindgift.com -- "i love you, even if you won't give me your snail mail address."
posted by sugarfish at 2:49 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

April 19

Do security apps like this one actually work? Anyone here with a DSL or ISDN, or other "always on" connections, have any tips on security at home?
posted by milhous at 11:31 PM PST - 17 comments

After reading the great discussion following mathowie's post on Dr. Dre, I was reminded of an article, "A Musician's Manifesto," from a while back found at http://www.musicisum.com/manifesto.shtml, but apparently musicisum.com no longer exists. The original NY Times Articles (1, 2) where I first read about the manifesto are down, but one of them is available here and here:
[A] more ambitious alternative: to devise an entirely new way of doing business. That is exactly what Lanier is doing. Recently, he drew up a five-point strategy, formed a musicians' collective called Musicisum with Kristen Stavola and signed up more than 45 artists to begin a noble experiment that involves the Internet, subscription fees and music filling stations.
Here is Jaron Lanier's home page, and he links to all those dead links above also. A mystery. I emailed Jaron; but did not hear back from him, anybody have some insight as to what happended to Musicisum?
posted by ericost at 9:26 PM PST - 1 comment

Dr. Dre is in the news again,

Dr. Dre is in the news again, as he is being sued by Lucasfilms for what? You guessed it, copyright infringement.
posted by Mark at 5:48 PM PST - 12 comments

Who knew the founder of Lycos had a personal website?

Who knew the founder of Lycos had a personal website? It reminds me of the homepages of yesteryear. Among his activities, he helps turtles, likes to fly, and has another company that does bizarre avatar bots.
posted by mathowie at 4:57 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

They bagged the kid who was responsible

They bagged the kid who was responsible for all those Denial-of-Service attacks a couple of months ago. He's Canadian.

Here's an interesting legal question: could the US extradite him? The crimes were committed in the US, but he was in Canada at the time he did it, since he worked through the Internet. Whose laws apply?

(By the way, I've seen no indication that the US is considering extradition; I was just curious whether they could extradite him.)
posted by Steven Den Beste at 4:30 PM PST - 18 comments

Seperated at birth?

Seperated at birth? Is it just me, or could Jeffrey Zeldman and Todd Purgason pass for twins? Be sure to check out the rest of Design is Kinky....it rocks.
posted by tomcosgrave at 2:41 PM PST - 1 comment

Another music artist that doesn't get it: Dr. Dre.

Another music artist that doesn't get it: Dr. Dre. I knew the Metallica thing could start a rash of followers, hopefully this isn't a trend. Why is it so difficult for artists to see that fans trading their music is a good thing? (including better sales of discs thanks to the people hearing the mp3's and better concert sales from fans buying tickets to see them live)
posted by mathowie at 1:22 PM PST - 49 comments

Going to Disney Land any time soon? You may want to see which Restrooms are the best, and which ones aren't. Which ones are open, and which ones are closed. Of course, you could always just go there and take your chances.
posted by da5id at 9:54 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

You know their server isn't particularly secure; well neither is their browser.
posted by ericost at 9:39 AM PST - 2 comments

Does everyone know about the Darwin Awards? (These are the awards given to people who most improve the human race... by departing early...)

The most commonly cited one is the story of the guy who mounted a rocket on his Chevy Impala, and flew it into a canyon wall... well, as with most good stories, it's based on an actual event. [ Reserve an hour or more, and bring diapers. ]
posted by baylink at 8:24 AM PST - 4 comments

Philly Prostitution Ring Busted. " 'People shouldn't be making their livelihoods off of the actions of juveniles,' Castor said yesterday afternoon during a news conference in his courthouse office in Norristown."

Hadn't someone ought to tell Michael Eisner that?
posted by baylink at 6:50 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

The PlayStation 2 is a munition.

The PlayStation 2 is a munition. This is nearly as entertaining as when Belle, the first computer to receive a Master rating in chess, was siezed by customs before a world tour.
posted by plinth at 6:06 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

what's happened to memepool?
posted by sugarfish at 3:09 AM PST - 7 comments

April 18

S u m e a

S u m e a features some amazing ways to use Java and Flash on the web. The best thing about the whole site is how fast all the 'applets' load on my 56k modem.
posted by Mark at 7:56 PM PST - 4 comments

Caroline

Caroline celebrates her ageing process tomorrow!! Happy birthday!
posted by tomcosgrave at 4:00 PM PST - 15 comments

Sometimes the biggest cliches turn out to be true...

Sometimes the biggest cliches turn out to be true... A small tornado forms during a storm in Los Angeles and somehow finds a Mobile Home Park to hit... (and, no, the city of Paramount is not where the movie studio is)
posted by wendell at 1:10 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

I've been thinking of making my own digital delay for several years, but I've been waiting for CPU prices to drop. Damned if Cirrus logic went and solved that with one chip.
posted by plinth at 11:19 AM PST - 4 comments

No money or time to give to charity? Give yourself. [via grasshopper]
posted by veruca at 10:41 AM PST - 1 comment

An even better article

An even better article from the same issue on The Transformers. more than meets the eye.
posted by crawdad at 9:18 AM PST - 3 comments

California may have its head wedged (Prop 22)

California may have its head wedged (Prop 22) but at least there's hope somewhere else.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 9:17 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Snake Handling IS dangerous..

Snake Handling IS dangerous.. One might consider this a near piece of selfpromotion but since I really don't provide any content to this site and just coded and designed it it's not. =) I just think its a funny and interesting article about the wonders of Snake Handling.
posted by sikk at 9:06 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

HTML Tags

HTML Tags the new porn
posted by dangerman at 8:04 AM PST - 7 comments

Today the desktop, tomorrow the world.
posted by plinth at 7:41 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

This whole click tracking thing...

This whole click tracking thing... There's a spinoff discussion going on concerning the fact that I post links with embedded click-counting munging, so that I can see how many people are interested in the various topics I post, both here and on my own 'log.

On the basis of 2 replies, Matt's decided "he's glad he doesn't do that", and I think that might be a slight overreaction...
posted by baylink at 6:39 AM PST - 18 comments

Tetris!

Tetris! In High Rise-olution! [thanks memepool!]
posted by plinth at 6:38 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

The next Sith Lord?

The next Sith Lord? Darth Kawasaki? This guy looks like a bad-a** and no doubt has the talent, but come on! Darth Maul had the ultimate look and feel. We barely got to know him! Bring him back! Clone Maul!
posted by da5id at 6:08 AM PST - 5 comments

Are americans really this stupid

Are americans really this stupid or does the rest of the world just have better things to do? TV owners are suing a company for running an ad with a CGI cockroach in it after destroying their TV's while trying to kill the roach. Will wonders never cease?
posted by jedrek at 1:35 AM PST - 12 comments

Digitally Imported is the best Internet-radio I've heard yet. It's mostly trance stuff, but if you bitch enough on the forums, you might get a house track or two played. Just good stuff.
posted by endquote at 12:32 AM PST - 1 comment

April 17

Frontpage98 vulnerability

Frontpage98 vulnerability Now let's get this straight... First, it was a serious issue. Then it was no big deal. Now it is something altogether different.
"Now, in a second security notice posted late Friday, Microsoft warned: 'Shortly after publishing the bulletin, we learned of a new, separate vulnerability that significantly increases the threat to users of these products.'"
posted by ericost at 6:28 PM PST - 2 comments

Unclear on the concept...

Unclear on the concept... You thought Mahir was bad? I just wonder is this one is a put-on or not... [ from Hey, URL! ]
posted by baylink at 4:42 PM PST - 18 comments

Sometimes people are stupid.

Sometimes people are stupid. Every glass of water you drink has been through a million kidneys; this is no different.

More to the point, it's exactly the same as the drinking water in New Orleans, which is processed from the Mississippi river and contains the output of the sewage treatment plants from St. Louis among many other cities, not to mention industrial wastes and farming run-off.

Speaking as a Californian, I think most of my fellow citizens are idiots.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 12:36 PM PST - 13 comments

"When you visit a site, you can't take that information and use it for your own purposes, especially for commercial purposes," the lawyer says. Is it just me, or will this ruling render every single search engine illegal?
posted by jjg at 11:03 AM PST - 13 comments

Download an Mp3...

Download an Mp3... ...and goto jail. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Of course, you can always DoS attack the Motion Pictures Association of America's website, (which was down as I was writing this.) but that would most likely only land you in even deeper water than downloading the Mp3.
posted by da5id at 9:04 AM PST - 5 comments

More news on the IIS exploit

More news on the IIS exploit After acknowledging the problem last week, Micro$oft is now saying that the backdoor in IIS... is a flaw. M$ Technet seems to have a fix for this problem, delete the offending file! So, if systems are your bag, my advice is to start researching security if you are running M$ internet server products (SQL 7, Exchange, IIS, Index Server, etc.).
posted by Dean_Paxton at 8:17 AM PST - 2 comments

April 16

RIP: Edward Gorey

RIP: Edward Gorey
posted by bjennings at 5:06 PM PST - 4 comments

Friday's Foxtrot

Friday's Foxtrot looked suspiciously like Greg's Project Crapster, no?
posted by luke at 2:50 PM PST - 1 comment

The myth of megapixel cameras

The myth of megapixel cameras is explained here in detail, finally "illuminating" why digital resolution is often worse than you'd expect. In brief, digital cameras interpolate to get a color image from a black and white CCD -- losing sharpness in the process, and taking up far more flash card space than reason dictates. Conclusion: buying into the latest technology isn't worth the expense, until camera companies wise up. Finally, evidence which backs up my faith in scanning photos taken on a (decidedly analog) Nikon N70! [via Honeyguide]
posted by legibility at 1:59 PM PST - 6 comments

NPR on the side of Corporate Radio?

NPR on the side of Corporate Radio? Bird on a Wire spotted this Salon story that says that National Public Radio, those bast...ions of freedom of speech, are siding with Clear Channel and Infinity Broadcasting to try and restrict the proposed Low Power FM broadcasting service to third adjacent channels (90.1 -> 90.7) instead of second (90.1 -> 90.5)...

a change that will cut the number of possible stations from thousands... to 75.
posted by baylink at 1:33 PM PST - 4 comments

Now you too can play in the locker room like a big-leage ball player! Just revealed: the Seattle Mariners secret penis tricks.
posted by endquote at 12:08 PM PST - 2 comments

Got Rice?

Got Rice? If you've ever lived in any metropolitan area in North America with a small Asian population, you've likely seen some of these cars on the streets.
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 11:36 AM PST - 8 comments

Haven't really tried it yet, but RedGorilla sounds like a badly-named but useful tool for people who need to track their hours so they can accurately bill clients.
posted by endquote at 8:42 AM PST - 3 comments

Speaking of re-designs.

Speaking of re-designs. Doc Ozone has a new "front end." Or, it's new to me, as I haven't been there in a few months. This guy is nuts... he's a U.I. maniac. Not sure where he's concentrating his efforts these days. He was working in Europe for a bit. One can pick up a lot of inspiration from this complex site. Look's like he's added a discussion forum too.
posted by Dean_Paxton at 7:52 AM PST - 6 comments

M-W redesigns

M-W redesigns but doesn't actually improve the site. One curious (read: irritating) thing -- if you are currently looking at a definition (with the definition tab highlighted) and you click on the thesaurus tab, it doesn't automagically look up the same word in the thesaurus. It just gives a new search box. Dumb.
posted by sylloge at 1:48 AM PST - 4 comments

projectcool sighting

projectcool sighting < a home + living guide for the post-college, pre-parenthood, quasi-adult generation > so, I'm not an adult until I've got that degree AND kids? What else will be required by they time I graduate? A house, a second wife who wants kids, a graduate degree, and a brand new BMW? Social symbols/rites associated with maturity are so bizarre in our material world.
posted by greyscale at 12:37 AM PST - 4 comments

April 15

Anybody have what used to be here (http://www.spoonfed.net/reflect/monkeys.html) in cache or anything?

Anybody have what used to be here (http://www.spoonfed.net/reflect/monkeys.html) in cache or anything? I ask because I am fascinated by the intense reactions that blogging evokes in some people, and so I really want to read what Mr. spoonfed.com had to say. Especially since he seems like a decent writer when he explains why he took the anti-blog piece down.
posted by ericost at 10:26 PM PST - 5 comments

Speaking of hell, the Seattle Weekly has an exclusive interview with the Prince of Darkness, but you can just call him Mephisto. "Forget about 666, our new watchword in the wired world is 24/7!"
posted by endquote at 10:22 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

The report is in. To think, there are 999 other blogs other than this one. Eerie, eh?
posted by Lasara at 3:17 PM PST - 1 comment

Telecondoms,

Telecondoms, the ultimate in germaphobe equipment. I guess just using something like a zip-lock bag would be too easy?
posted by Mark at 2:34 PM PST - 1 comment

Metafilter => Hellfilter? ;-)

Metafilter => Hellfilter? ;-)
posted by tomcosgrave at 9:39 AM PST - 9 comments

Shoppping cart abuse,

Shoppping cart abuse, whether physical or psychological, is all too common in our modern era. And at long last there is a web site that offers documentation of this problem, photographs of abused carts, and 12 step guidance for offenders who desire help. Most importantly, The Confessional offers a chance for visiting abusers to repent by sharing their stories. It's the most consistently humorous crop of visitor comments that I've ever come across on a silly site like this.
posted by sixfoot6 at 5:41 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

The Virtual Training Company Online University

The Virtual Training Company Online University is packed with free, quickly downloaded visual lessons to over 50 major programs. This site covers most major-market releases, though not Dreamweaver 3, I'm afraid. The resolution is pretty good, but if it must be perfect you may pay an extra $25 and get the works.
posted by Awol at 12:52 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

April 14

NSI: "We weren't hacked, we were just stupid."

NSI: "We weren't hacked, we were just stupid." Ah, I feel reassured.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 3:40 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

I've been reading TomDelMundo

I've been reading TomDelMundo occasionally for over two years, and it never ceases to crack me up.
posted by mathowie at 3:09 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Remember the Microsoft story the Wall Street Journal hastily yanked without explanation from its Web site earlier this week? They missed a copy.
posted by jjg at 2:52 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Inevitable...

Inevitable... Sigh. I'm tired of this one already. I will grant that the lipsync is pretty well done. And did I mention my girlfriend met Harrison Ford last week? It's true.
posted by anildash at 2:25 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Sex in the sky just got easier. Awww, yeah.
posted by veruca at 1:16 PM PST - 3 comments

deepleap

deepleap has launched.
posted by treebjen at 12:43 PM PST - 46 comments

Hate vs. Hate

Hate vs. Hate Film critic Roger Ebert criticizes Hatewatch, a catalog of hate sites intended for people who hate hate. My commentary is a bit too long for the front page, so I put it on my log. Choose your poison.
posted by baylink at 10:16 AM PST - 11 comments

Assasination Politics?

Assasination Politics? Does your email address end in .gov? Watch out, then, because cypherpunk and convicted tax evader Jim Bell might be out to get you, and his plans don't sound especially pleasant. The meat of the Wired piece is on page three:
[ Pull quote left out because it makes the page too tall ]
May we live in interesting times...
posted by baylink at 9:40 AM PST - 1 comment

Wacky Packages!

Wacky Packages! Of course, all the cool kids called them Wacky Packs. It's odd to recognize that I was sticking these on notebooks, walls, doors and lockers when a lot of my coworkers were in diapers. I remember series 3 the best.
posted by plinth at 9:28 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

April 1 was two weeks ago, guys.

April 1 was two weeks ago, guys. [I can't believe they could be so stupid.]
posted by Steven Den Beste at 7:41 AM PST - 9 comments

Hard drives in PlayStations!

Hard drives in PlayStations! "Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony (NYSE: SNE) will reportedly include a hard drive and modem in the U.S. version of its second-generation PlayStation gaming product set for a fall release."

Slashdot reported that linux would be the development platform, but my question is how soon to expect a linux port to a Playstation?
posted by plinth at 6:46 AM PST - 6 comments


April 13

WTF!?! Everyone's favorite band (back in high school) Metallica is suing Napster and a handful of universities

WTF!?! Everyone's favorite band (back in high school) Metallica is suing Napster and a handful of universities for unlawful trading of their music. This is ridiculous, and I hope it doesn't set a precedence. If anyone would just slap a revenue model on napster so artists could get paid for their work, none of this piracy crap would happen. And Metallica, what about the other apps that do the same thing, are you going to sue them too? And what about every other band on earth? What do you expect to get out of universities, tighter controls over bandwidth, or student monitoring of internet usage? What about every cable modem and DSL provider that lets people use Napster, are you going after them too? Why don't you sue everyone on earth that's heard your songs but didn't pay for them? Side question: Is it better to burn out or fade away?
posted by mathowie at 11:03 PM PST - 17 comments

It's good to know that Castro is still a nutcase.

It's good to know that Castro is still a nutcase. "War crimes tribunal," my tailfeathers.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 8:26 PM PST - 6 comments

Sometimes a web-log is extremely personal.

Sometimes a web-log is extremely personal. It seems to me that many of them are, well for lack of a better word, trivial. But this one isn't.

This young lady deals with things that many of us can't begin to understand.

Would that I could write this well.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 6:13 PM PST - 4 comments

Propaganda in the Internet Age

I had been somewhat underwhelmed by the "preview" offerings of Modern Humorist (Beta software is bad enough; who needs beta humor?), but their latest contribution Propaganda in the Internet Age rates high on my Sjoberg/Brad Scale.
posted by wendell at 4:31 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Thanks to Greg's great article

Thanks to Greg's great article on InYourPants.com, I'll never have to shop for underwear again. It's a pain to shop for, and my girlfriend gives me slack for only buying new ones once a millennium, but now I won't have to worry about it anymore. [thanks Steve]
posted by mathowie at 4:29 PM PST - 2 comments

MS set to drop support for Java.

MS set to drop support for Java. Isn't it great that they are so committed to standards? I wonder if they'll change Jscript or heck, why not just drop ECMA all together? ugh.
posted by bryanboyer at 4:00 PM PST - 2 comments

This Phantom Mencace

This Phantom Mencace game is one I'm sure to try to pick up...once I find all the cables, mind you.
posted by Cavatica at 11:20 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

What's going on at blogger today?

What's going on at blogger today? The damn thing goes down more than anyone i've ever dated.
posted by milhous at 10:56 AM PST - 19 comments

Is it time to be scared of seven year olds now?

Is it time to be scared of seven year olds now? Muderous plot? From children? Sounds like a reporter using strong words for some playground craziness, and everyone overreacting. Reminds me of a certain show I saw last night...
posted by mathowie at 10:08 AM PST - 7 comments

I don't believe it...

I don't believe it... I actually agree with something Network Solutions has done. They've apparently changed their policy to make domain name squatting more difficult. The story sounds sympathetic to the two ladies in question, but I'm not. Ok, maybe they should have been a touch more careful in how they *rolled out* the new policy, but the policy itself is about 5 years overdue.

Now, if we could just get them to *do what we tell them to*...

Cheers,
-- jra
posted by baylink at 8:00 AM PST - 10 comments

Disneyworld...

Disneyworld... has lowered it's adult age prices, so now if you happen to be 10 or older, you're paying full price, which if memory serves me correctly is about $40 bucks. (it rarely does.)
posted by Cavatica at 5:32 AM PST - 3 comments

One of Roger Ebert's all time favorite movies is Tron. I remember seeing it as a kid and being amazed, but after looking at some of the movie previews for it at this site, it seems just plain goofy. Oh, by the way, I found this at the imdb, which apparently is some sort of Tron sequel, as a upcoming tv show/series, but Harry says they're also working on a film for release in 2002.
posted by mathowie at 12:51 AM PST - 16 comments

April 12

Damn Cybersquatters

Damn Cybersquatters

Here's a little run-in I had with a cybersquatter while trying to secure a domain name for a company I'm starting.

Apologies ahead of time for being self-serving in using my home page there (promise it won't happen again!), but I had no other place to write the content. Hope you guys will have a look and give me an opinion on things! If anything, it's good for a quick laugh even though I'm completely disgusted at the fact people make a living off leeching off hard-working individuals like you and me in such a manner.
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 10:33 PM PST - 12 comments

Acid.org is cool...

Acid.org is cool... I just noticed ACiD redesigned it's main page. It's good to see groups like ACiD and iCE are still organized producing art. For those who remember those ANSI and BBS days, don't go there expecting to see that sort of stuff.
posted by Dean_Paxton at 10:02 PM PST - 3 comments

Joing! I never meta-blog... wait, that's been done...

Joing! I never meta-blog... wait, that's been done... The foopster tosses his hat into the ring of blog blogging. I'm hoping this is going to give Sally a run for her money.
posted by Neale at 9:05 PM PST - 5 comments

South Carolina votes to finally take down the confederate flag and also votes to recognize the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. I guess now that we're in the 2000's, South Carolina finally decided to catch up to the 1980's!
posted by mathowie at 8:16 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Call this: "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost URL"

Call this: "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost URL"
posted by wendell at 6:23 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Celebrity Flush, cleansing the world of pop culture.
posted by veruca at 2:09 PM PST - 8 comments

Did somebody say McDonald's?
posted by veruca at 1:43 PM PST - 3 comments

Somewhere in these notes

Somewhere in these notes is a reference to RTVReco. I thought it fair to point out that some of of think of RTV as Room Temperature Vulcanization, a convenient quailty in a substance for making molds and casts. And you all thought I was just a code monkey.
posted by plinth at 1:07 PM PST - 1 comment

Who stands to benefit

Who stands to benefit from the growing hysteria over school violence -- especially since school violence is actually dropping? That's the question posed by the USA Today story, spotted originally by Brennan at Considered Harmful. I think it's an excellent example of the general principle: always question their motives.
posted by baylink at 12:41 PM PST - 6 comments

End of an era.

End of an era. I wonder if they'll still give 5% to charity and support Rain Forests, and stuff like that.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 10:29 AM PST - 12 comments

According to MSNBC, Kozmo delivers to predominantly white parts of town.

According to MSNBC, Kozmo delivers to predominantly white parts of town. This is a thorny issue all around. The company claims to target areas of high internet usage, but there's a whole host of factors that would lead to huge racial differences in those areas. I still believe one of the greatest things about the internet is that it's a place where race really doesn't matter, but unfortunately the barriers to entry aren't exactly colorblind. MSNBC went so far as to produce some interesting maps that support their claim pretty well though.
posted by mathowie at 10:22 AM PST - 14 comments

This ain't no finger paintin', baby.
posted by veruca at 10:15 AM PST - 1 comment

Tuvalu, a tiny South Pacific nation

Tuvalu, a tiny South Pacific nation measuring 26 square kilometers, has sold the use of its domain name -- .tv -- to Idealab! in a deal that promises to garner Tuvalu more than three times its national budget.
posted by TuxHeDoh at 9:41 AM PST - 4 comments

+Superbad...

+Superbad... exactly how big is this place, anyway?
posted by sonofsamiam at 8:26 AM PST - 2 comments

More from the WSP on IE5.5,

More from the WSP on IE5.5, "a browser that strikes out on complete support for any standard." Things are getting ugly.
posted by ericost at 7:57 AM PST - 3 comments

April 11

What a BIZARRE food site...

What a BIZARRE food site... I don't know which is more disturbing: watching young ravioli struck down in their prime, or witnessing a 10-year old Tammy Faye Baker chug a cold can of pasta & sauce.
posted by vitaminb at 7:52 PM PST - 4 comments

Love that Blogger redesign.

Love that Blogger redesign. Normally I wouldn't blog about this here, but they leave me little choice. (Other than jumping ship and kludging some scripts together). I want my free service that I pay nothing for and should be grateful just to have now!

On a serious note, I love Blogger, think it's great, and use it myself, but is it bad to become dependant on a third party tool? You've basically placed the life of your site at the whim of the tool provider. Granted, Ev, Meg, PB, [that fourth guy], Matt, and now Jack seem like pretty nice people to be at the whim of, but wouldn't it be better to do it 'on your own?'

Just thinking out loud, as soon as it's back up I'll go to my little traveled corner of the web and stay there.
posted by alana at 6:51 PM PST - 16 comments

I knew, sooner or later, Neale would GO TOO FAR.

I knew, sooner or later, Neale would GO TOO FAR.
Everybody go AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!
posted by wendell at 6:32 PM PST - 5 comments

A usability nightmare... and so slow.

A usability nightmare... and so slow. Oh, what I would give for a good Canadian travel site.
posted by tranquileye at 5:20 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

IToke.com

IToke.com wants to deliver high-grade marijauna using a fleet of trucks across Europe-- kind of like Kozmo.com except...better
posted by chaz at 4:14 PM PST - 7 comments

Mcsweeny's

Mcsweeny's is back to normal, rather abruptly. Okay, I give; what was supposed to be funny about this whole thing, anyway?
posted by mrmorgan at 1:57 PM PST - 15 comments

If this happened in the US,

If this happened in the US, then the owners of the circus would be guilty of Manslaughter, at the very least, due to their negligence in not feeding the lions.

Of COURSE a starving lion is going to grab a kid; to a lion a human looks like lunch.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 1:27 PM PST - 12 comments

Did you know that math is hard? Apparently this is true for windows applications. Thank you Microsoft, the best truly is yet (if ever) to come.
posted by plinth at 12:02 PM PST - 16 comments

Ralph Reed lobbying for Microsoft

Ralph Reed lobbying for Microsoft Reed will do just about anything for money these days. What strange bedfellows.
posted by bvanveen at 10:48 AM PST - 2 comments

NPR doesn't like low-power FM radio? Great.

NPR doesn't like low-power FM radio? Great. LA radio sucks rocks, so I was kind of excited by the idea of having more stations pop up here that don't have to answer to a giant mother network (a la KROQ or KLOS). It's disappointing to see that NPR wants to join in with Corporate Radio. Write your congressman! Tell 'em to vote down H.R. 3439!
posted by RakDaddy at 10:19 AM PST - 1 comment

A terribly misleading use of the .GOV top-level domain

A terribly misleading use of the .GOV top-level domain has surfaced. The House Republican Committee, by all means an organization that deserves a .gov designation, has decided to use that designation for purely partisan means... the site is chock-full of "aren't Republicans great?" feel-good stories and digs at Democrats.

What a terrible precedent to set; I can hardly wait for all of the interest group caucuses to start grabbing their own .gov domain names and throwing up pages that, by virtue of their URL, pretend to be the official word of the U.S. Government.

How does one go about registering displeasure with the person in charge of granting .GOV addresses?
posted by delfuego at 9:36 AM PST - 8 comments


Cell phone spammers

Cell phone spammers will be hated more than email spammers, but I just hope someone stops Plugout.com before some competitors think it's a good idea.
posted by mathowie at 9:17 AM PST - 3 comments

Giving capitalism a really bad name. (I love Molly Ivins.)
posted by veruca at 7:21 AM PST - 5 comments

Lakeland Florida tries to kill hobbyist's passion.

Lakeland Florida tries to kill hobbyist's passion. Sure, the hobby involves a guy who collects videogames as if they were Hummel Figurines, but I have a certain amount of sympathy for him since I collect as well (I just have a little more restraint). I'm intensely curious as to whose panties got tied into enough of a Gordian knot to go after him.
posted by plinth at 7:10 AM PST - 1 comment

ZeldmanIcons = Zicons = New trend?

ZeldmanIcons = Zicons = New trend?
First there was 'open links in new window', then favicons, thereafter, links to individual posts and now is the new trend Zicons (from weblogs.com)?!
Another Winer plan is launched.
posted by williamtry at 2:44 AM PST - 14 comments

Rusty's Summer Vacation

Wondering what Rusty has been up to? Here's an exclusive rendition of his summer vacation. Now that looks like fun!
posted by veruca at 1:45 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Yeah, speaking of anorexia. Anyone wanna see Ally McBeal in her undies? Ooh, baby!
posted by veruca at 1:43 AM PST - 2 comments

April 10

The 7-11 website

The 7-11 website gets my vote for scariest splash screen image, ever. A burger shaped like a hot dog? Who would ever find that remotely appetizing? The site's not all bad though, they do have slurpee postcards.
posted by mathowie at 10:51 PM PST - 4 comments

If you've never lived in California, you really ought to give this site a try. We haven't had a big one in a few years, so I guess we're due for a devastating one any day now...
posted by mathowie at 10:05 PM PST - 2 comments

Darn Canadians are going to get Reboot! first. Looks like we'll both be waiting for this one, premiumpolar. Darn Canadians and their darn YTV anyway! Grrr...
posted by mrmorgan at 10:02 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Alphanumerica's Entries for the 5K Contest

Alphanumerica's Entries for the 5K Contest I stumbled upon a couple of entries from Alphanumerica for the 5K Web Design Contest. I thought they were cute. Just curious is anyone else here got a preview?
posted by Dean_Paxton at 8:19 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Don't make me pull out a can of Whoopass on your, um, ass.
posted by endquote at 6:35 PM PST - 6 comments

speaking of anorexia...

speaking of anorexia... "ministers are so concerned about the obsession of teenage girls with being thin that they are considering regulations aimed specifically at the fashion industry. the department of trade and industry is looking to draft regulations that would be designed to halt the "use and abuse" of those suffering from eating disorders and could force modelling agencies to use people with normal body shapes."
posted by palegirl at 5:23 PM PST - 6 comments

Streaming Simpsons

Streaming Simpsons no more. Did everyone get their share of the fun before she was pulled?
posted by milhous at 4:23 PM PST - 3 comments

The warez, mp3-traders, hacker and terrorist

The warez, mp3-traders, hacker and terrorist industry just got a just got a boost in the arm. the goverment and all the music companies are going to see that the internet is not to be regulated. You cannot stop individuals from sharing files between themselves and everytime you start to ban one program another one more innovative than the last pops up. I am going to stop my little rant here because I don't want to seem like i am anti goverment ...viva la revolution.
posted by neo452 at 2:02 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Big companies overheard on the playground:
Sun: we put the dot in dot com!
Microsoft: Naw-uh! You did not!
Sun: We did too! Your OS is stupid!
MS: No, your OS is stupid!
Sun: Quit copying me! You always copy me!
MS: No, you're copying me! stupid-head!
Sun: Stupid-head!? You're so busted for that!
MS: Am not! I can do anything I want!

These are adults? I'm just glad I'm not an investor in either company.
posted by mathowie at 1:59 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

I thought for a moment that CUJoe's site had been hacked. This is what I saw before I realized that it was just a typo (beware adult content).
posted by plinth at 1:43 PM PST - 6 comments

Gotta love New Yorkers, especially in the springtime. Pay special attention to the occupations of the participants.
posted by veruca at 11:41 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

I've seen some disturbing stuff on the web before, but for some reason a pro-anorexia site featuring low cal recipies and a scary guestbook gives me the creeps like no other site ever has. I wish it were fake, and all the people in the guestbook saying "great site!" were joking as well, but I know it's the sad truth for a lot of people.
posted by mathowie at 11:28 AM PST - 9 comments

I hate telemarketing calls. I've done a number of things to amuse myself in the process of dealing with such calls but that doesn't stop them. Here's how to cut down the calls you receive.
posted by plinth at 7:20 AM PST - 19 comments

The Web Standards Project

The Web Standards Project blasts Microsoft's "arrogant" break with standards in IE 5.5/Windows Edition. Please read the press release and, if you agree, post it to your favorite mailing lists and news groups. This must not stand.
posted by Zeldman at 6:16 AM PST - 5 comments

The Rapture Index

The Rapture Index "by no means is meant to predict the rapture, however, the index is meant to measure the type of activity that could act as a precursor to the rapture." It tracks such data as unemployment, inflation, false Christs and, of course, plagues.
posted by philip at 6:07 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

April 9

If you're tired of McSweeney's, try McSweeney's.
posted by luke at 11:34 PM PST - 4 comments

What's old is new again.

What's old is new again. This sounds suspiciously like "core", which is what computers used when I was in college.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 9:52 PM PST - 2 comments

And you think it's bad now...

And you think it's bad now...

Thanks to Girlhacker, a vision of what Amazon (no link -- that's my contribution to the boycott :-) might look like down the road a piece.

Maybe this is why Jakob dislikes tabs so much...

Cheers,
-- jra
posted by baylink at 3:15 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

A visual weblog

A visual weblog where a current event is encapsulated into artwork. It's updated everyday and you can mail the graphic and URLS to a friend. The cross contextualization of the links is interesting, because each story has multiple sources.
posted by p2 at 2:18 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

iris

iris wow check out this 5k contest finalist. beautifiul work.
posted by bvanveen at 11:50 AM PST - 17 comments

April 8

22% of McSweeneys.com visitors are using Macs

22% of McSweeneys.com visitors are using Macs which is more proof that the more intelligent your content, the more diverse your user agents. Or something. (More Mac users read Suck and Salon?)
posted by sylloge at 11:13 PM PST - 2 comments

Why tab based interfaces suck

Why tab based interfaces suck This site finally fell into interface hell. Originally they used tabs as navigation and still are now... BUT it doesn't work... Watch... every ecommerce company that copied its interface will also fall into the same interface hell... The others include ebags.com, urbanfetch and more....
posted by efader at 8:58 PM PST - 8 comments

Reboot! returns!

Reboot! returns!
Reboot! returns! Reboot! returns! Oh, yeah.
posted by mrmorgan at 8:22 PM PST - 4 comments

Speaking of offering people free stuff... OpecInfo.com, a fake site claiming to be "The Internet's Best Gas Resource," appears to have fallen victim to its own April Fools prank.
posted by philip at 7:18 PM PST - 2 comments

Another company is offering free domains.

Another company is offering free domains. This time, the server is actually up. I registered a domain, and I wonder if this is for real or not.
posted by Mark at 2:10 PM PST - 12 comments

U.S. population stands at 13,462

U.S. population stands at 13,462 With the April 1 deadline for returning Census 2000 forms finally passed, the Bureau of the Census announced Monday that the U.S. population stands at 13,462.       "We at the Census Bureau are shocked by the incredible decrease in the population that apparently took place in the 10 years since the last Census in 1990," Census Bureau director Kenneth Prewitt said. "A 1999 projection estimated the U.S. population at 274 million and set the annual growth rate at .95 percent. Yet from this latest Census count, we find that this projection overestimates the population by a multiple of 20,000."
posted by cmeck33 at 12:46 PM PST - 1 comment

Dihydrogen Monoxide -- the unsuspected health threat!

Dihydrogen Monoxide -- the unsuspected health threat! It should be banned by the government! (Let's get some citizen activism going here.)
posted by Steven Den Beste at 8:41 AM PST - 2 comments

"Such screenings are common in Britain, with more than 100 carried out in the last five years."

"Such screenings are common in Britain, with more than 100 carried out in the last five years." You know, guns and lawyers and creationists notwithstanding, sometimes I'm really glad I live in the US and not in places that don't have a Bill of Rights.

A mass genetic screening like this would be a direct violation of the Fourth Amendment:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

While genetic testing is permitted here, it can only be done on a suspect when there's reasonable cause to believe that that particular suspect is guilty of the crime. It requires a search warrant.

And that, in my opinion, is how it should be.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 1:18 AM PST - 5 comments

Separated at Birth?

Separated at Birth? Angelina Jolie has been chosen to play Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider movie. I must say that from the neck up, she's actually a pretty good choice. (From the neck down, no woman alive measures up.)

The only problem is that Ms. Jolie is California, not England. I wonder how well she can do an English accent.

"Val Girl Lara" just doesn't make it.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 12:34 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

April 7

Cool, cool, cool article

Cool, cool, cool article over at A List Apart. John Allsopp is my new hero . . . whoever he is.
posted by gleemax at 11:59 PM PST - 1 comment

It's the Hampster Dance again, only remixed. Can I get an awwwyeah?
posted by endquote at 9:28 PM PST - 2 comments

Lord of the Rings Trailer released...wow

Lord of the Rings Trailer released...wow is it something. I wasn't too sure about this one before (Liv Tyler as Arwen? Oy...), and, while the acting may suck, it looks like it's going to be quite a spectacle.
posted by RakDaddy at 2:45 PM PST - 15 comments

Meet Rusty. Rusty is a homosexual.
posted by veruca at 2:15 PM PST - 3 comments

Love and lice, according to Lynda Barry. I remember the first time they came to our second grade class searching for lice. I had no idea what lice was, so I just played dumb and let them act like monkeys looking through my hair.
posted by veruca at 2:05 PM PST - 4 comments

wired does xxx...

wired does xxx... getting my daily fix of info, i stumbled on a coedsex.com add delightfully served by doubleclick! is there something that i don't catch or is it just plain stupid and [perhaps] illegal to serve adds like that on such a big portal? i don't mean i'm in favor of regulation, but Wired is a [ was a ] very visited portal, and even if kids don't have much to read there, it may be shocking for some people. Even if the server has snooped my hard drive till it found that videos he may contains, it doesn't mean that the current user is not my 2 years old that had somewhat lit my comp. if you have a kid that loves to smash the keys of keyboards, and if you don't want him to destroy your neat advanced keyboard, find him a old amstrad CPC. Heavy, robust and the keys are very clicky and easy to repair.
posted by deboute at 1:42 PM PST - 1 comment

IE 5.5 beta is out, and there's an article on MSDN describing its new features. Most interesting are the user comments, where everyone's saying "standards! standards!" (click "read user comments" at the bottom of the page)
posted by endquote at 11:15 AM PST - 9 comments

This

This will be the last time you leave your Francs in the car unattended. Were they Francs or american currency...I wonder?
posted by neo452 at 6:37 AM PST - 4 comments

Steal a Snickers bar ---> Get 16 years in jail

Steal a Snickers bar ---> Get 16 years in jail This Texan appears to be extremely unfortunate, even when you read his past criminal record. How can stealing a Snickers equate to 16 years in prison? However, the audacious comment from the assistant attorney is worth noting:
"If it was a Milky Way, we probably wouldn't have even tried him on it".
posted by williamtry at 5:57 AM PST - 11 comments

I already have plenty of reasons to not buy from buy.com, but this is the latest, and perhaps most bizarre. I do a search for "Phantom Menace," but it instead searches for "KIT MAN POON," which I take to be a Klingon anagram or something. No wonder its stock is wallowing.
posted by luke at 12:29 AM PST - 7 comments

A popular highschool student comes out

A popular highschool student comes out and recives a lot of support from his fellow students, parents and teachers. Now, is this really SO strange in American that it deserves an article of this lenght? The strangest thing is that it reads like a piece from The Onion.
posted by jedrek at 12:09 AM PST - 18 comments

April 6

Microsoft - The best is yet to come...

Microsoft - The best is yet to come...
Has anyone seen the new Microsoft commercial? I'm not saying that Bill Gates is pandering, but when it was over my fly was down and my TV smelled like White Diamonds...
posted by CrazyUncleJoe at 8:37 PM PST - 9 comments

Oklahoma House passes bill requiring reference to creationism in texts.

Oklahoma House passes bill requiring reference to creationism in texts.

"the committee shall ensure" that science textbooks it approves for use in public schools "include acknowledgment that human life was created by one God of the universe."

I need to catch that ship to the next universe.
posted by alana at 8:08 PM PST - 19 comments

Dude, e-hippies are cool. Here's the story.
posted by veruca at 4:10 PM PST - 3 comments

dumbentia.com is fun. Check out the Seven Deadly Motivational Posters and Bible wallpaper.
posted by veruca at 2:38 PM PST - 1 comment

The X-Men Full Trailer

The X-Men Full Trailer clears up a lot of the "Omigod! Something's really wrong here" comments about the film, but there's still no Colossus and no Gambit. What gives? Perhaps they're saving all that for the second or third films (if any)?
posted by Cavatica at 1:58 PM PST - 2 comments

Latest on the mcsweeneys.net takeover.

Latest on the mcsweeneys.net takeover. If this is a prank, it's already getting old. I keep hoping for some big humor payoff, but I'm the MTV generation--speed things up! Darnit!
posted by mrmorgan at 1:01 PM PST - 12 comments

This DHTML site

This DHTML site is just plain amazing. Hearing that the author wrote the whole thing by hand in a text editor with nothing but a book for reference is incredible. It reminds me of seeing an insane rug or quilt at a museum and hearing it was stiched by hand using only crude sewing tools. Just thinking of the work it took to make that site makes me want to cry in pain. [link pilfered from kottke]
posted by mathowie at 11:54 AM PST - 21 comments

N*SYNC secrets revealed!

N*SYNC secrets revealed! Hidden in the lyrics to Tearin' Up My Heart: "I really got to eat penis."
posted by stopgap at 11:38 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Watch out for me I sue.

Watch out for me I sue. This is precisely the kind of madness that needs to end...I thought you learned to tie your shoes in 1st grade.
posted by neo452 at 11:22 AM PST - 4 comments

Who needs the The Hamster Dance when you can watch the The Hooker Dance? I would rather watch these hoes dance anyday over some furry little rodent. Reminds me of Pimp War... Can't wait until that starts back up.
posted by da5id at 9:57 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

The Guerrilla Banner Project

The Guerrilla Banner Project It's not my website, but I am a participant. Does that make me a linkwhore?
posted by Mick at 6:53 AM PST - 7 comments

April 5

Justify your paranoia?

Justify your paranoia? A little dated, but it's the first time I've seen it.
posted by fil! at 10:31 PM PST - 4 comments

And speaking of frogs (see below) . . .

And speaking of frogs (see below) . . .   here is a good entry for the 5k. They are still anonymous (until the judges are finished).

And don't go poking around those directories please -- not all the files are called index.html and there is not a directory for every number (so you'll mostly get 404s). Just a few more days. Shhh . . .
posted by sylloge at 10:11 PM PST - 4 comments

Madness

Madness ...I tell you. Pure Madness. Stop the insanity...I thought they gave it their best shot with the frogs...I thought wrong. This new campaign is catchier than the frogs could ever be...
posted by neo452 at 8:34 PM PST - 3 comments

Rejected From Kindergarten

"2000 may well mark the year that the traditional arithmetic of the city’s private schools irrevocably changed. It used to be so simple. Once you got your child in a fancy nursery school—and that was relatively easy, because how many other parents would shell out thousands of dollars for a nursery school?—your child’s future was set. After nursery school came a fancy private school. Then the Ivy League. In other words, the so-called "feeder school" theory, long denied by school officials but treated as gospel by wealthy parents. But that formula has gone the way of the Old Math."

i just can not relate!
posted by palegirl at 5:39 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Everyone seems to be redesigning....and now I've gone and done it too.

That's right folks, Just like everyone else I've gone and redesigned my homepage. Any and all comments are appreciated, especially those on Mac systems as I have no way of testing on that platform. And hey, if you were feeling kind, you could generate me some traffic ;-)

Sorry about the blatant self promotion, but hey, I did provide some links ;-)
posted by tomcosgrave at 5:14 PM PST - 10 comments

"I am not a number; I am a free man!!!"

"I am not a number; I am a free man!!!"
"Sorry, Number 6, but actually, you're a 'property in development'..."
posted by wendell at 3:47 PM PST - 3 comments

Yahama has made the Rolls Royce of pianos.

Yahama has made the Rolls Royce of pianos.
'Built around an Intel Pentium III computer chip, the piano allows functions to be controlled by a user's voice and lets the user watch an artist's performance stored on disc while hearing the concert. When the disc is inserted into a built-in DVD player, the performance is displayed on a computer monitor as keys and pedals move up and down recreating the piano part.'
And only $333,000, where do I sign up?
posted by Mark at 3:37 PM PST - 2 comments

I feel bad about posting an Elian Gonzalez link, just because the poor kid has been through enough, but this religious imagery that CNN used in conjuntion with a story is just plain odd.
posted by jkottke at 2:21 PM PST - 5 comments

A rather interesting article

A rather interesting article on how scientists how found that people with the same surname usually share some common DNA. This could soon be used to track down the original founder of your last name.
posted by Mark at 11:21 AM PST - 3 comments

Netscape 6 Pre release is Official. . .

Netscape 6 Pre release is Official. . . Looks like Netscape caved in and released the leaked version of Communicator 6. I got it and it's identical to the leaked version posted here earlier. Which is almost identical to Mozilla M14.
BTW, does anyone else have a problem with AOL/Netscape having the entire internet develop it's newest browser through the Mozilla effort while they plan to profit from it? Especially with Mozilla's ardent open source position. Or, is it just me.
posted by Dean_Paxton at 11:01 AM PST - 29 comments

SBC + BellSouth

SBC + BellSouth Any Latin experts out there? We need a funny name for this mess too.
posted by bvanveen at 10:49 AM PST - 1 comment

London Stock Exchange left in lurch

London Stock Exchange left in lurch Here in the UK, it's the final day of the financial year (tax year), so isn't it a coincidence that the London Stock Exchange computer system went down for seven hours?
posted by williamtry at 10:28 AM PST - 2 comments

Did you miss your chance to buy Derek's Olympus D-600L camera? Don't fret, here's another chance to own a piece of web history.

If it were me, I'd replace the mattress...
posted by ratbastard at 9:04 AM PST - 1 comment

Sometimes I'm grateful that there's no update.

Sometimes I'm grateful that there's no update.
posted by plinth at 5:57 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

I hope my retirement is like this.

I hope my retirement is like this. At least I *hope* I can still enjoy it by then.
posted by plinth at 5:36 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Bing! Bing! Amazon moves to two rows of tabs!

Bing! Bing! Amazon moves to two rows of tabs!
Interesting . . .    I've been part of dozens of conversations about what they were going to do when it *just got too wide*. The Amazonization Effect principle dictates that it will take 30-60 days before other big etailers follow suit because now it's OK to do it.

Just in case I'm a test case here, I've posted the gif here.
posted by sylloge at 1:54 AM PST - 20 comments

FilmFour

FilmFour (the best film channel on TV) often ask special guests to choose two of their favorite films. Tonight the special guest is Kermit the frog, displaying a taste for B movie horror. There are also some good films they're showing in his honour (like Meet the Feebles).
posted by dodgygeezer at 1:52 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

"The new direction American cultural discourse is taking..."

"The new direction American cultural discourse is taking..."
This is more sad than funny... Bill Watterson resisted every pressure to sell out, and so a semi-obscene bootleg rip-off is now the way most of America remembers "Calvin & Hobbes".
posted by wendell at 1:24 AM PST - 8 comments

SAVE THE SCREECH!

SAVE THE SCREECH!
Blame Hollywood Tattler for the idea.
posted by wendell at 12:44 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

How many other stupid animated musical platic thingies have a Talking Heads song in their repertoire?

How many other stupid animated musical platic thingies have a Talking Heads song in their repertoire?
posted by wendell at 12:31 AM PST - 2 comments

April 4

"It is already possible for an assassin to send someone an e-mail with an innocent-looking attachment connected to it. When the receiver downloads the attachment, the electrical current and molecular structure of the central processing unit is altered, causing it to blast apart like a large hand grenade."
posted by endquote at 7:19 PM PST - 9 comments

I love geek-rock. Weird Al is releasing his concert footage on DVD, and of course it will have all sorts of techy-loving extras like lyrics, extra movies, and 5.1 sound.
posted by mathowie at 6:19 PM PST - 1 comment

Michael Moore on Elian Gonzalez

Michael Moore on Elian Gonzalez Mr. TV Nation weighs in, sarcastic but still makes a point
posted by owillis at 2:20 PM PST - 14 comments

Finally! A pillow to go with my vulvabed!
posted by veruca at 1:48 PM PST - 7 comments

Convergence baby!

Convergence baby! Sony has released a Minidisc Player/Recorder, MP3 player with USB connectivity, and PalmOS PDA, all wedged into one small unit. Wow, that's enough buzzwords to kill a horse...
posted by mathowie at 9:57 AM PST - 4 comments

Verizon

Verizon , a true example that there are no good dot com's left no matter how big you are. They had to put a lot of thought into this one to make it make sense.
posted by bvanveen at 9:10 AM PST - 5 comments

Anyone who doubted that the mcsweeneys.com/mcsweeneys.net merger was a hoax might want to take a look at the new McSweeney's Internet Tendency home page. Somehow I don't think this is a permanent change.
posted by Hegemonic at 8:57 AM PST - 9 comments

Protest the IMF and World Bank April 16 and 17.

Protest the IMF and World Bank April 16 and 17. Info on a non-violent rally/protest in DC, and other actions around the US. Also ... Michael Moore is going to be the emcee.
posted by E-Boogie at 8:38 AM PST - 1 comment

April 3

Hey there, you look like you could use a pair of used shoes.

Hey there, you look like you could use a pair of used shoes. Bidding starts at nine bucks.
posted by Mark at 11:32 PM PST - 8 comments

Jilted husband blows up wedding.

Jilted husband blows up wedding. A suicide bomber in northern China, apparently angry at the break-up of his marriage, is reported to have killed himself and 36 people at a village wedding.
posted by chrish at 7:55 PM PST - 3 comments

Keeping up with the breakneck pace of life at a San Francisco startup isn't as easy as it looks.
posted by jjg at 5:01 PM PST - 8 comments

Sega is giving free Dreamcast consoles to anyone who signs up for their new Internet service.
posted by jjg at 4:18 PM PST - 5 comments

CarTalk's Worst Cars of the Millennium...teehee!
posted by veruca at 2:35 PM PST - 9 comments

The judged ruled against Microsoft

The judged ruled against Microsoft today, saying that the company did in fact violate the Sherman Antitrust Act, but we already knew that.
posted by Mark at 2:20 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Here's Project Censored's annual list of the 25 most undeservedly ignored news stories,

Here's Project Censored's annual list of the 25 most undeservedly ignored news stories, although several of them (including the top 3) fall in the category of "stating the obvious" for me. Of almost equal interest is their list of Top 10 stories that maybe should have been ignored and/or censored (my wording NOT theirs). Got any you can add to that list? Right now, I'd start with 'Halle Berry's auto accident'...
posted by wendell at 1:42 PM PST - 4 comments

National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month begins, or rather, began.
posted by rich at 12:41 PM PST - 12 comments

Are... you... a... born... again... Shatner fan? Well then, maybe you should join the First Church of Shatnerology. More fanatical than that? Better check out the supreme being's chances of winning the Presidential Election 2000. Oh wait, he can't win... he's Canadian. Oh well. Live long and... wear a toupee.
posted by da5id at 9:45 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

I misread Alice's blog today. I thought she meant big Tabasco. Tabasco also makes a nice spicy soy sauce which is right tasty on Trader Joe's vegetable gyoza. I had no idea that they made pickled okra. I've never tried okra, but this might be enough incentive.

Did I mention that my dad got me to stop sucking my thumb by putting Tabasco on it? I blame him for my enjoyment of spicy food.


posted by plinth at 9:12 AM PST - 5 comments

Looks like

Looks like the 5k design contest got to be a bit overwhelmed...I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of sites the judges go for.
posted by Succa at 8:30 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Enjoy National Workplace Napping Day!
posted by veruca at 7:37 AM PST - 2 comments

Need to know about starfleet ship classes?

Need to know about starfleet ship classes? and I mean all the starfleet ship classes. Geek away and beware the MIDI file embedded in the page if you surf at work and wish to remain a closeted trekkie.
posted by plinth at 5:54 AM PST - 3 comments

April 2

It looks like the Microsoft vs. DOJ case might be worth paying attention to again, as their settlement talks have ended. "After more than four months, it is apparent that the disagreements among the parties . . . are too deep-seated to be bridged," said mediator, U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Posner. U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson will probably issue a verdict any day now.
posted by endquote at 11:53 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

All pimpwar accounts disabled?

All pimpwar accounts disabled? I was really getting into the game. Its probably for the better since I will now be able to return to my previous life (not that it was anything signifigant). I'll just tough it out until May 1st when it comes back as a fully functional version.
posted by howa2396 at 9:16 PM PST - 5 comments

Do you have the knack?
posted by veruca at 3:37 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Ancient Roman erotica to be unveiled, "once thought too scandalous for mere mortals to view."
posted by veruca at 12:34 PM PST - 6 comments

Scary Blogger?

Scary Blogger? Jeez Matt, Relax - you've got a cool job now, so just take it easy ;-)
posted by tomcosgrave at 12:15 PM PST - 5 comments

Springing into redesign

Springing into redesign
Orbiting has been redesigned for Spring, and I've seen a couple of others. Have y'all seen any other good ones (besides Derek's, which is fantastic)?
posted by Melanie at 12:11 AM PST - 11 comments

Are You 3000 Plus?

Are You 3000 Plus? Find out just how good your web writing is with this revolutionary online tool developed by the super-secret TSD Labs. Complex natural language analysis is performed to determine the complexity, readability, and likability of your writing.
posted by daveadams at 12:09 AM PST - 5 comments

April 1

stopgap

stopgap is a weblog I just found that has some design that I really like: clean and simple, with some nice menus.
posted by pasties at 9:39 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Google Mentalplex

Google Mentalplex Google's pretty funny... Let's see how long that light heartedness lasts after The Great Ass of Corporate Opression sits on them.
posted by Dean_Paxton at 8:30 PM PST - 3 comments

Après moi, le déluge.

Après moi, le déluge.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 4:22 PM PST - 1 comment

Stanford University Planning IPO

Stanford University Planning IPO
I know this is starting to scrape the bottom of the April 1st barrel, but I WAS the first person to point out that the heading of the e-mail version of this writer's column is "D A N G I L L M O R O N T E C H N O L O G Y" (logical word breaks after DANG, ILL and MORON)
posted by wendell at 12:17 PM PST - 3 comments

Microsoft's Campus gets bombed.

Microsoft's Campus gets bombed. I like how it sounds like the "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" episode when they report on the reactions from industry rivals [via larkfarm].
posted by mathowie at 10:23 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

NPR announces merger with World Wrestling Confederation

NPR announces merger with World Wrestling Confederation
At this moment on Weekend Morning Edition, Scott Simon is interviewing wrestlers named "Amazon Rainforest Crunch" and "NRA", and Nina Totenberg is talkin' trash. Diggin' it!
posted by wendell at 8:02 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

So far Rasterweb, Fairvue, and Riothero are onboard the Fooltrain. Post any more you see as a comment on this thread. Let's make it a dozen by the end of the day!
posted by mathowie at 5:33 AM PST - 16 comments

5:15am April 1st 2000 in SF and still no April Fool's version of vivid's site.

5:15am April 1st 2000 in SF and still no April Fool's version of vivid's site. Could this really be the end of an era? Remember vBay (classic!) and v|net? I want some good parody, damnit! (Sorta like this, Matt -- well done.)
posted by sylloge at 5:16 AM PST - 3 comments

I miss Josh already...

I miss Josh already... hey can I steal that script for a last minute 5k entry?
posted by mathowie at 1:01 AM PST - 5 comments